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Australia’s Coffee Culture: How We Drink Coffee

Coffee and drinking coffee is something Australians are all too familiar with. Australia’s coffee culture is unique, with different ways of drinking coffee and different kinds of coffee drunk throughout the day.

Although I’ve lived in Australia for half my life, I don’t drink coffee. Certainly I’m no where near a coffee connoisseur and my tastebuds aren’t fined tuned to suss out the finest of coffees and Arabica beans.

It’s not that I hate the taste of coffee; I actually like it. However a few sips of coffee (be it a strong or weak blend) leaves me jittery and shaky with a headache and also I much rather avoid stimulants.

Ironically during the first couple of years of moving back to Australia, I consumed coffee daily. I would have a strong cappuccino in the morning in between classes. When catching up with friends, I’d usually order a mild single-shot latte. As I realised my body didn’t like the effects of coffee no matter how much or how little full-strength or decaffeinated coffee I drank, I eventually stopped drinking coffee.

Coffee is something we drink indoors and outdoors.

Coffee culture in Australia has its origins in European immigration. Rumour has it Captain Cook and the First Fleet sipped on coffee sailing their way to Oz shores in the 1700s. In the 1930s and after WWII, Italian and Greek migrants brought espresso with them and opened coffee shops around the cities. In 1985, Australia arguably invented the ‘flat white’ courtesy of Australian barista Alan Preston, out-muscling New Zealand for this mantle.

Today coffee is often the go-to drink for countless occasions in Australia. If you’re visiting Australia, you might want to take note of how Australians drink coffee and perhaps drink along as well.

1. Coffee, cafes, catchups

Drinking coffee is often silently and unanimously regarded as a social affair in Australia. Be it a quick work-related catchup with colleagues or catching up with a friend, coffee is usually the drink of choice. The moment you sit down at a café or restaurant and get handed a menu, ‘Can I get you a coffee?’ is usually what the wait staff would ask you. Since I don’t drink coffee, these days in response I ask for tap water….and wonder if the wait staff are disappointed in my request for a free drink especially if their establishment prides itself on impressing with coffee.

‘Want to go get coffee?’ and ‘Want a coffee?’ are some ways of asking someone out, be it for a casual catchup or for a date to get to know someone better. It’s not unusual for many in Australia to just order a coffee or two at a café and chat the hours away, not ordering much else perhaps aside from an overpriced muffin or slice of cake.

Coffee goes well with catchups and smokes.

2. Water cooler talk

Coffee breaks at work is pretty much a standard affair here. The 2015 Square Australian Coffee Report revealed 9.30am is the peak time for office workers in Melbourne to grab a coffee, while it’s 8am for those in Sydney. According to Nespresso and Galaxy Research, it takes around 11 minutes to get a decent-tasting coffee around work and 81% of Australians feel coffee breaks facilitate better communication between colleagues. Many see coffee as a way to wake up and stay awake at work throughout the day (think having a coffee with smokes or a drink of coke) – just part of local work culture, translating to a better working environment.

It might be wiser for me not to approach some of my colleagues when they have not had their morning coffee yet…but I usually approach anyway 🙂

A coffee a day can add up, coins and calories.

3. Drinking coffee like it’s water

Like how many whiskey lovers see whiskey as the water to life, many coffee drinkers in Australia see coffee as the fuel for life. Australia is ranked at 42nd in the world for coffee consumption at 3kg per capita with Finland coming in 1st. McCrindle research surveyed 1,000 Australians over 18 and found three quarters have at least one cup of coffee per day; those who order a medium coffee most days spend around $1522 on coffee a year.

Many I’ve met in Australia drink at least one cup of coffee per day, maybe two or more if they feel like they are struggling to get through the day. My colleagues find it incredulous that I don’t drink coffee, sleep at midnight, come to work before 8am and still manage to pull my weight at work. It seems I can function like a well-oiled machine without coffee.

4. Choices

Latte. Cappucino. Flat white. Espresso. Long black. Short black. Chai latte. Mocha latte. This Australian coffee decoder chart explains what these coffees are. In short, there’s quite a variety of coffees served in Australia – some cups are a shot of espresso mixed with water whereas others tend to be milk-based (which are more popular among Australians and quite the opposite of preferred coffee in America). Notably Australians can be very picky ordering coffee, some going as far as requesting their coffee to be made with a double shot and made ‘not too hot’ or else their day might get ruined.

When I first moved back to Melbourne from South-East Asia, these coffee names confused me and I only knew what a cappuccino was – it seems to be the choice of coffee drink marketed all around Asia. While many iced-coffees in Asia are served in plastic bags, all kinds of takeaway coffee in Australia comes in a paper cup which is much more convenient to carry around.

Different names for different coffees.

5. Specialty coffee

Over the last decade, drinking coffee in Australia has become a more adventurous affair and a kind of luxurious experience. It’s not only about drinking to feel more awake but also drinking to appreciate the finer taste of coffee regardless the price that comes with it. Australians are gravitating towards higher quality coffee beans with baristas familiar with the grade of their coffee and where it’s grown – making coffee with passion. Strong Vietnamese coffee with sweet condensed milk, Turkish sludge-like coffee and Civet cat-poop coffee are some coffee varieties making the rounds in Australia in recent years.

Interestingly enough, Starbucks didn’t crack the Australian market: it closed 60 stores around the country, and some reckon this was due to the chain’s branding (American brand, Australians should like, not the case) while others feel Australians are loyal towards local coffee standards. For instance in Melbourne, Market Lane Coffee, Seven Seeds, St Ali and Proud Mary are regarded as boutique cafes offering top coffee roasters – offering different brewing techniques, championing cold brews, pour overs and imported in-season coffee beans.

Each time I’ve been to these cafes in Melbourne for brunch, there’s always a queue. The most I’ve ever waited was about fifteen minutes with a friend in the rain for a table for two. Each time she ordered a coffee from these places, she raved about it.

Nitro Cold Brew that looks like a beer at Starbucks Australia

6. Making coffee at home

Coffee lovers in Australia are also keen on making their own cuppa at home, and not just any instant coffee drink that takes two minutes. The average person in Australia might enrol in a professional barista courses to learn how to use their thousand dollar home coffee machine and make a good brew. Cafes such as Market Lane sell coffee beans by the kilo and anyone can try recreating a gourmet cuppa at home which in turn fuels the speciality coffee culture market here.

7. Australian grown coffee

It might not be that well-known but Australia grows its own coffee. The south east of Queensland and south of New South Wales host coffee plantations, and the coffee produced is generally low in caffeine with sweet and nutty flavours. Though a lack of arable land is proving challenging for this niche industry, there is enthusiastic passion for the coffee making process and serving it. Moreover, social-venture cafes (notably a current buzzword…) serving coffee are on the rise around Australia – sustainable ventures providing pathways for the disadvantaged while whetting the nation’s appetite for caffeine.

Take home coffee beans.

* * *

There are commonly stereotypes surrounding coffee drinking in Australia. These stereotypes can signify a certain social status or certain roles we may aspire to. On one hand, buying a cup of coffee may not necessarily be cheap in Australia ($2 a cup coffees from 7-11 will always be the exception and some of my friends have said it really isn’t bad coffee). If you can afford a cup of coffee or two in Australia every day, chances are you’re getting by in life – perhaps you’re a corporate show pony caught up in the vicious cycles of the corporate world and need coffee after coffee to meet your deadlines.

On the other hand, the label hipster is often ascribed to those who are picky about the taste of their coffee – those either loving a flat white or a not-your-average customised coffee. (In Melbourne a hipster is often seen as someone who is rather broke but has upperclass tastes and still able to afford them). From this perspective, coffee is almost like a fashion accessory and statement: if you drink coffee, you’re a part of a certain group with certain tastes. At the end of the day, labels are labels and the Australian way of drinking coffee is about drinking coffee we like. As Drift Away Coffee sums it up:

‘Australia, however, doesn’t have a signature coffee drink. Instead, drinking coffee in Australia is characterized by an attitude, rather than a beverage.’

A good coffee takes time and passion to make.

No matter where we are in the world, there’s two sides to drinking coffee: drinking coffee to feel good in the short term and the questionable effects this has in the future. For some of us, coffee is a way to make us feel better, feel more awake and alert. Or feel better in that it that it’s a pick-me-up treat given we love the taste of coffee.

For some of us, we might find ourselves depending on coffee to get on with our lives and feel good which can turn into a bit of an addiction (for me a bit of coffee is already an overdose). In the long run it might be hard to cut back, like how it’s hard to quit smoking or stick to a new diet. Moreover, the more coffees we have, the more calories and sugars we consume. That said, observational studies have found coffee drinkers were less likely to die from injuries, diabetes, heart disease and stroke – but these lower risks were not attributed to caffeine consumption directly.

Coffee, cafes, laneways, city, Melbourne

Even though it was a gradual process, weaning myself off coffee was hard. I genuinely like the taste of coffee (much prefer it over tea but tea is another post for another day…). It was nice drinking something other than plain water; coffee has added minimal nutritional value over water due to the variety of ingredient composition (milk consists of calcium and potassium, coffee beans are a source of antioxidants).

But I guess coffee and me were not meant to be. And I’m okay with that.

225 thoughts on “Australia’s Coffee Culture: How We Drink Coffee”

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Way cool Mabel! I noted the big time coffee culture during a short trip to Sydney. Gotta love it. Big time coffee culture in New Zealand too. We visited for 3 months earlier this year. Loved the place. Sensational post!

Mabel, I am growing old. I don’t remember if I have answered or not…but I have read this before, I know. It is just that this month has been turbulent and a bit too much for me working with the election. So I will answer again (?), because I need a cup of coffee right now.

Our elections are now over, and I am trying to cope with the outcome. Not easy. Many fears and some anxiousness. That is where the coffee comes in…I have loved coffee since I was about 20. Tea is only for feel good and scones. Almost.

Sweden is a coffee drinking paradise. At work we have coffee (fika) breaks at about 10 am and at 3 pm. 15 minutes each. We mostly drink black coffee then, maybe with some milk. But there are a variety of coffee possibilities. Irish coffee is a favorite, and cappuccino. I drink coffee 5 times a day when at work, otherwise morning and afternoon. Sometimes a cup after dinner as well. No sugar. The sugar went away already in my twenties…on a car travel through France and we went short of sugar. No money, no sugar – ever since!

Tea? When you go to university, tea is the main drink. There is a kind of tea culture there not easily broken. My children still drinks tea – not coffee. And they are 28 and 26. Maybe the new generation will be only tea drinkers? When we visit China, there is always a tea shop of two to visit – and I always return with a trunk of tees…and beautiful tea mugs and tea cups. My children bought a whole set each, tea pot too.

You may be much older than me by quite a bit, but your intuition is stronger than mine and seems stronger than ever. You may have read it, but you haven’t sat down for a cup of coffee here for this one. You know yourself very well, Ann-Christine. Or as I prefer to call you, Leya…

Sounds like coffee is a drink that is calming, soothing to you. So interesting to hear Sweden is big on coffee and it usually drinks it black and strong. 5 cups is quite a lot but if you are used to it and it works for you, it works for you. Good that you don’t have sugar with your coffee and savour the taste of coffee as it is. Sugar is always something we can easily heap over coffee.

Tea as also a big kind of drink in Sweden, so interesting too. Tea is certainly a popular drink, even with the younger generation. Perhaps you are right and there will be more tea drinkers in the future. Hopefully you and your family get to visit China again and sample more of its tea – you seem like you know how to pick out your tea and cutlery like you coffee.

Thank you for the feedback, Mabel. And – I have still got loads of teas from China. My son bought some of those really beautiful ones that will unfold in the water like flowers. I really should have photographed them, but I think he has used the last one. Do you have these elaborately made tea flowers in Australia or in your native country as well?

The good thing about teas and coffess is if you keep them in an airtight container, they can last so, so long. I have not come across elaborate teas that fold out like flowers here in Australia…maybe there is, I don’t know. I am planning a tea post in the future so I will be sure to go hunting for teas in Australia 🙂

I am a coffee drinker but not a connoisseur. My grandmother grew coffee and sometimes, I helped her pick the coffee cherries, watched her extract and clean the beans from the berries, dry the beans them in the sun, roast them on a clay pan, and then ground them up. The smell, as you could imagine, was heavenly. I learned to boil coffee early on. We had no Coffee Brewer, so we boiled our coffee and took care not to put dregs in our cups. Coffee was the beverage of hospitality way back then.

Years later, instant coffee became popular. It was not as good but convenient.

These days, I am back to brewed coffee. I have a little Mr. Coffee that does the work for me. Nothing fancy, really. I rarely buy coffee, and does not get any at all from Starbucks. I think the price adds up if one buys coffee all the time.

I really should slow down with coffee but it has become some sort of a comfort drink for me especially when I am teaching the children their school lessons. I feel something is missing if I do not have coffee in a day.

It sounds like watching your grandma, you learnt first hand the experience of making coffee from scratch. How wonderful and I’m sure if you gave it a shot, you will make the perfect cup 🙂 Your grandma sounded very patient making coffee.

That is so true that the price adds up if we buy coffee all the time especially every day. And it can be a comfort drink indeed. If we need it, we need it and I’m sure you drink your coffee in moderation 🙂

I guess my grandma was patient indeed. In the olden days, things just had to be done whether one was interested in it or not. Or maybe, there was not even a question of whether one wanted to do something or not. It just had to be done. There were coffee beans, so make coffee. There were cocoa (we had those, too), make chocolate balls. And I think, the joy was in accomplishing the job that needed to be done.

I love coffee and enjoy buying cappuccino. I used to have a coffee machine at home but it broke, so I decided not to replace it and instead drink tea or plunger coffee. I can savour cappucino when I go out.

To me Your post was very interesting to read. Why? Because we Finns drink the most coffee in the World. When comparing with other countries our coffee culture is in “children’s shoes”. On the other hand, we know how to recycle empty coffee packages. I am quite sure that there are not many countries in the World in which people think about what to do with empty coffee bags.

Yes, Finns drink the most coffee in the world and sounds like you are very proud of this! Those are some wonderful coffee bags your wife made. Wow, each one so colourful and so put together. Very good with arts and crafts, and a good way to recycle coffee bags.

As a non-coffee drinker, I’m one of the few who has not benefited from the explosion of coffee shops in the UK, Mabel. Like nail bars, they can now be found on every street corner. Whenever I venture into a coffee shop with a friend and order tea, I feel a little like a meat eater does when ordering at a fish restaurant. I sometimes get those strange looks, but why offer tea if you don’t want anyone to order it?

I read lots of blogs where writers say they need at least a few cups of coffee every morning before they start to write. I often wonder what their writing would be like if they didn’t drink coffee. Would it be any different? Would they be unable to write?

Strange as it seems, although I don’t drink coffee, I do like coffee centred chocolate. It’s the one I always look for first when being offered a box of chocolates.

It does sound like coffee is everywhere in the UK and you can’t go anywhere without seeing a place serving up coffee. Nothing to be ashamed of ordering tea…but I guess maybe some people pride themselves on making coffee for you and only coffee.

If a writer drank coffee and didn’t have coffee in the morning, maybe they’d go right back to sleep 😀 Good on you for knowing what you like, tea, and it is what that makes you tick.

I also don’t mind coffee centered chocolates…if they aren’t filled with liquor too. If we do get the chance to meet, I’d probably bring you a box of chocolates of this kind 🍫😀

I have been drinking coffee for years but am embarrassed to say I know very little about coffee lol. My go-to coffee is the Folger’s medium roast coffee powder I get from Costco or the regular convenience store. I like it for its bitter but not too bitter taste. I usually take 2-3 teaspoons with boiled water and a dash of milk. No sugar or cream for me. 🙂

I know some people joke that they can’t live without coffee and are totally grumpy in the morning until they have their first cup. But I believe I drink my morning cup of coffee (and then one in the afternoon as well) more because it’s an acquired habit and less because of the caffeine in the drink. Some mornings when I don’t have time to enjoy my coffee (because I don’t like drinking it quickly if I’m on the go), I do skip it and I feel fine. I do think it’s true, though, that coffee can pep up someone if he/she didn’t sleep well and make him/her more alert.

Outside of home, I mostly go to Starbucks occasionally. I am not a fan of drinks with cream so I’ve never had their cappuccinos. I like their iced coffee but it took me many times after ordering it to realize I had to specify to the barista not to put sugar in it or it would be really sweet. Straight black coffee goes nicely with a croissant or lunchbox from Starbucks. I am definitely curious about other coffee shops though I’m a bit shy to go in if it’s an independent store I am not familiar with.

Lol I don’t think you are the only one who drinks coffee and not knows much about it. If you like something, you like something and like it for how it makes you feel. Sounds like you know how you like your coffee. Bitter but not too bitter, but tasting like coffee without sweetness 🙂

You have a great point there in saying for some of us coffee is more so a habit, and maybe also a warm drink to fill out stomachs up somewhat in the morning (though I have heard some people say they need to have something to eat to go along with their morning coffee). Coffee can ‘pep someone up’ – I like how you say this.

Didn’t know Starbucks iced coffees were sweet. I’ve only had the non-coffee cappucinos with and without cream and they are always sweet, and I found them too sweet so I stopped drinking them and they are quite expensive ($5-$9). Maybe one day you will randomly wander into a random coffee shop and have a great coffee and write about it 🙂

Yes, Starbucks drinks can be a bit pricey if someone buys them frequently. I like them as a rare once in a while treat. Perhaps someday I will visit many random coffee shops and get a feel on the atmosphere of each one. 🙂

I drink coffee in the office and at home. It’s a fave drink but I don’t consider myself as a coffee addict. I can go on days not drinking any cup if I have to. When I found out I was pregnant in 2015, I immediately stopped taking coffee and never felt any withdrawal symptoms or craving.

I take it at times because I’m sleepy. Honestly, though, it doesn’t work for me. Moving around to make coffee and just the thought that I’m drinking it wakes me up. But the drinking per se does not help. I can fall asleep right after a cuppa. At times, I even fall asleep without finishing a cup. And even when awake, I usually just let my coffee get cold on the table while I do tasks and chores. It can take hours before I finish everything. Sometimes, too, I’d put the mug in the refrigerator for next time — ice-cold coffee can be nice, too.

Sounds like you drink your coffee and know how much of it makes you tick. Wow. No coffee when you found out when you were pregnant and you didn’t miss it. Amazing.

Maybe if you fall asleep after a coffee, that coffee wasn’t strong enough for you 😀 Saving drinks in the drinks for next time is a great idea – and a cold drink can be really lovely if you live somewhere warm and humid.

“Maybe if you fall asleep after a coffee, that coffee wasn’t strong enough for you.”

Maybe. But a lot of people I know claim that similar coffee keeps them awake. Also, we have here what is called Kapeng Barako, which is strong and is the coffee the province of Batangas is known for. When my mother-in-law (recently), I would drink it during her wake but somehow, the kick didn’t do much for me still. Though maybe I still did need to make it even stronger.

“…a cold drink can be really lovely if you live somewhere warm and humid.”

In the Philippines, it could get really called from December to February. That still doesn’t stop us from eating ice cream and drinking cold beverages, ha ha! Incidentally, soda like Coke are said to have more caffeine than coffee and are more effective in keeping anyone up. I think they’re right, and I think it also has to do with the bloated feeling that comes with consuming soda.